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ibook: close the lid, it sleeps. how do it know?

zimv20

zimv20

macrumors 601
Original poster
Jul 18, 2002
4,402
11
toronto
i've got a g3/800 ibook that has developed an issue w/ sleeping. basically:

- i close the lid, it doesn't go to sleep
- i open the lid, and sometimes it then goes to sleep

i've seen some others over at the apple discussion forums w/ the same issue, but nothing suggested there resolved the issue. i actually dropped $50 on apple tech support, where we did a number of things (including resetting open firmware and resetting the PMU), but the issue remains. he suggested i send the unit in for repair.

what i don't know is what hardware trick is used to tell the PMU that the lid is being closed. when functioning properly, my ibook goes to sleep just before the lid is latched closed, leading me to believe there's some kind of sensor around the hinge area.

does anyone know for sure?
 
it's probably a magnet of some sort. don't quote me...
if you mail it to me, i'd be glad to open it and check, but don't count on getting it back too soon... ;)
reality
 
There is a reed switch under the microphone on the lid. there is also a magnet on the right palmrest. When the reed switch detects a magnet nearby, it clasps together, thus making the computer go to sleep. My guess is that the reed switch is loose or stuck and isnt making a proper connection.

Edit (1): im not exactly sure how a reed switch works, but it is similar to my explanation. Also, if you put a small magnet on the palmrest, you will be able to find the exact location of the magnet. Good luck.

Edit (2): Ok, I just found the location of the magnet. It is near the edge of the palmrest, right under the right arrow key.
 
It's a magnet (probably)

I know that my PowerBook G3 WallStreet used a magnet in the left side of the frame surrounding the LCD screen to detect if the lid was closed or not. On the part of the case where the keyboard is located, directly below the magnet, there was a magnetic sensor of some kind. When you closed the lid, the sensor would detect the magnet and the computer would go to sleep. When the lid was opened, the sensor would be reset, ready to detect the next closure.

I don't imagine that the technology has changed much. However, I don't think the magnet is located in the same spot now because the keyboard on the 12" iBook and PowerBooks extends right to the edge of the case. It's probably located at the top of the frame then, and the sensor would be near the trackpad or along that edge.

I had to investigate all this myself when my PowerBook G3 stopped awakening when the lid was opened. It ended up that when I replaced the hinges in the PowerBook (yet another example of a common hardware failure that Apple never recalled), a wire got wrapped around the magnet that stopped the sensor from detecting it.

EDIT: Seems that latergator knows the exact location. Now all you have to figure out is how to take apart the screen assemblage.
 
I would suggest to get the repair if your iBook won't go to sleep with the lid closed. This could lead to serious issues in short time because the iBook could overheat. My wife's iBook has this sympton just prior to needing one of its four logic board replacements.

I wouldn't wait to long so you don't have more serious problems.
 
im not exactly sure how a reed switch works
Click to expand...

Well, I just took my iBook apart. It basically looks like a switch made of two very thin pieces of metal almost touching each other, and is right under the mic.

Looks like this (sort of): ==

When you close the iBook, the magnet pulls the pices of metal together completeing the circuit. Sounds like your switch is physically broken ;) (Happened to a friend of mine's iBook)
 
appleguru1 said:
Well, I just took my iBook apart. It basically looks like a switch made of two very thin pieces of metal almost touching each other, and is right under the mic.

Looks like this (sort of): ==

When you close the iBook, the magnet pulls the pices of metal together completeing the circuit. Sounds like your switch is physically broken ;) (Happened to a friend of mine's iBook)
Click to expand...

ahhh.. ok thats what I though. So yeah, sounds like your reed switch needs a repair.

I have a way to find out: If you put a magnet near the reed switch (under the mic), then the computer should go to sleep. If it doesnt, then you know your reed switch is broken.
 
the real truth is that there is a very small man that lives inside all apple laptops next to a sleep switch and stays on alert for when you open or close it.
 
great info on the reed switch guys, thanks.

i did the magnet experiment. i put the magnet there (about an inch or two below the mic) and the ibook sleeps. i take the magnet away, it wakes up. seems like working behavior to me.

now i must wonder if the ibook magnet itself is the issue. maybe it's been dislodged.
 
KershMan said:
I would suggest to get the repair if your iBook won't go to sleep with the lid closed. This could lead to serious issues in short time because the iBook could overheat.
Click to expand...
yeah, that's a concern. but my workaround is to Sleep it from the pulldown menu, then shut the lid. it almost always stays asleep when i do that (and once it's sleeping, it doesn't wake up on its own)


My wife's iBook has this sympton just prior to needing one of its four logic board replacements.
Click to expand...
was that covered under apple's recent ibook logic board program?
 
zimv20 said:
yeah, that's a concern. but my workaround is to Sleep it from the pulldown menu, then shut the lid. it almost always stays asleep when i do that (and once it's sleeping, it doesn't wake up on its own)



was that covered under apple's recent ibook logic board program?
Click to expand...

No, it was covered under the standard AppleCare. We had purchased AppleCare to begin with. I think the replacement program may only be for the video errors. You might want to double check that though.
 
no one liked my story about the little man inside :(

hey intel says "intel inside" so I think apple should start using "little man inside"

huh? eh? ya....

anyway, I need some coffee :)
 
blue&whiteman said:
no one liked my story about the little man inside :(

hey intel says "intel inside" so I think apple should start using "little man inside"

huh? eh? ya....

anyway, I need some coffee :)
Click to expand...

My iBook G4 does NOT sleep when shut. I must manually put it to sleep via the drop-down.

The little man should get off his ass and put my ibook to sleep, dammit. What a slacker.

:)
 
jamdr said:
I know that my PowerBook G3 WallStreet used a magnet in the left side of the frame surrounding the LCD screen to detect if the lid was closed or not. On the part of the case where the keyboard is located, directly below the magnet, there was a magnetic sensor of some kind. When you closed the lid, the sensor would detect the magnet and the computer would go to sleep. When the lid was opened, the sensor would be reset, ready to detect the next closure.
Click to expand...

I have a friend whose WallStreet was having wake-up problems--he actually carried a magnet around in his laptop case for this purpose.

Well, until he bought his new 15" AlBook, that is. :D
 
KershMan said:
No, it was covered under the standard AppleCare. We had purchased AppleCare to begin with. I think the replacement program may only be for the video errors. You might want to double check that though.
Click to expand...
already discussed it w/ apple, they said it wasn't covered under that program. i did not purchase applecare.

i'm considering taking it apart myself, though it'd be the first time.
 
zimv20 said:
already discussed it w/ apple, they said it wasn't covered under that program. i did not purchase applecare.

i'm considering taking it apart myself, though it'd be the first time.
Click to expand...

iBook's are a real pain to take apart, plus you wouldn't want to risk damaging it. I'd suggest taking it to a local apple repair shop.

P.S- did macrumors change their forums a little? I noticed new smilies. :p
 
hey, i wanted to give an update on this.

the ibook is back to normal. close the lid and it sleeps. open it and it wakes up. i fixed it! "how?" you ask.

i've no ****ing clue.

okay, i've got an idea. after being told about the reed switch, i grabbed a magnet and played around. it was my test to see if the reed switch worked. i also took a magnet to the area where the magnet that engages the reed switch is supposed to be.

and i wonder if that fixed it.

about the same time, i stopped folding on the ibook. i wonder if the constant heat on the motherboard is a factor somehow.

anyway, it works. for now. <knocks on wood>
 
i've had the same problem for months. sometimes it wouldn't go to sleep when closed, sometimes it would, but wouldn't wake up on it's own when opened. while my iBook was under warranty i sent it in 3 times.. they never fixed the problem. a couple months ago, however, it just started working again. goes to sleep when closed, wakes when opened.. however, often, not always, when i close it.. it goes to sleep for a moment, then wakes up (still closed).. then goes to sleep again.. it tends to do this about 3-4 times, until it finally settles to sleep.

maybe my iBook has just become an insomniac like myself.

5:45am.. time for my computer and i to try to go to sleep.
 
blue&whiteman said:
the real truth is that there is a very small man that lives inside all apple laptops next to a sleep switch and stays on alert for when you open or close it.
Click to expand...

This would explain why Macs cost more than PC's. :cool:
 
But...

blue&whiteman said:
the real truth is that there is a very small man that lives inside all apple laptops next to a sleep switch and stays on alert for when you open or close it.
Click to expand...

What does he eat? Viruses?
 
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